Dust guard assembly



Feb. 16, 1937. L. A. ROWE DUST GUARD ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 16, 1937.

L. A. ROWE DUST GUARD AS SEMBLY Filed Jan. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented Feb. 16, 1937 l'iED STATES 7 2,070,865 DUST GUARD ASSEMBLY Lawrence A. Rowe, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to MacLean-Fogg Lock Nut Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 2 1935, Serial No. 8 12 Claims. (01. 286-45) The present invention relates to improvements in dust guard assemblies for the journal boxes of railway cars.

In the dust guard assemblies of the priorart which are in common use a wooden dust guard is disposed in the dust guard well, the guard having an aperture for passing the journal and substantially closing the space between the journal and the enlarged aperture at one end of the journal box. The dust guard well is commonly close-d by a wooden plug or wedge, and these structures are subject to many disadvantages. When the journal box is jacked up, the wooden guards of the prior art are apt to be crushed at 15 the bottom by material which is left there from the previous application of the dust guard. Furthermore, the dust guards of the prior art turn, and the upwardly projecting corner of the guard often kicks the wooden plug or wedge out of the 29 dust guard well.

The dust guards of the prior art were so large that they did not fully utilize the possibilities for movement of the journal with respect to the box, thereby bringing about the frequent crushing of .25 the guard. The dust guards, however, could not have been made narrower, because they would then uncover the opening in the journal box, and

they could only be proportioned in the devices.

of the prior art to permit a very limited amount 30 of movement of the guard.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved dust guard assembly having a cover that can be secured to the frame, and which cannot be driven out by any action of the contained parts of the dust guard assembly.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved telescoping structure by means of which the disadvantages enumerated above are eliminated and which will permit a greater 40 range of floating movement of the guard both vertically and transversely.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved dust guard assembly having friction devices for the securement of the cover which fit all sizes of dust guard wells, maximum, intermediate and minimum, which are permitted by the American Railway Association specifications.

Another object of the invention is the provision 50 of an improved dust guard assembly in which the parts of the device are so secured together that they can be inserted and removed as a unit, yet they permit relative movement between the cover and the balance of the structure so that 55 the cover may be fixed in position to close the well without interfering with the floating movement of the guard.

Another object is the provision of a housing for a dust guard having a part that can be proportioned to be used as a gauge to determine 5 whether the well is clean and free from accumulations at the bottom. If the edge of the housing projects above the edge of the wall of the well at all, there is foreign material in the well which should be cleaned out before insertion of the new 10 dust guard assembly, as the new structure is designed to rest on the bottom of the well by gravity.

Another object is to provide for the free vertical and lateral floating movement of the dust l5 guard without rotation except that slight amount in either direction which is incidental to the floating movement.

Another object is to provide for the renewal and removal of the guard with ease and without the necessity fortaking down the complete assembly.

Another object is the provision of an improved structure capable of taking care of all relative movement which is possible between the axle and the box or dust guard due to any service conditions or any permissible variations in sizes of the parts so as to positively preclude the possibility of damage to the parts.

Another object is to provide a design which permits the use of various types of guards and which may be adapted for use with the present standard dust guards.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar 5 characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the two sheets of drawings,

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the axis of the car journal, with the journal in elevation, showing the parts of a conventional journal box and the dust guard well with the present dust guard assembly;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the present dust guard assembly, with certain parts broken away to show the interior mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the details of structure of the cover;

Fig. 4 is a view. similar to Fig. 2 of a modification in which the present assembly is adapted to the use of ordinary standard dust guards which are somewhat thicker than those employed in the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 3; L 56 Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of another modification;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 11 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to Fig. 7, of another modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, Ill indicates in its entirety the dust guard assembly, which is disposed in the conventional dust guard well I The conventional parts of the railway car are the journal box |2,journal l3, bearing 4 and wedge l5. The inner end of the journal box I2 is provided with two walls l6, H which form the walls of the dust guard well II, and these wallsare provided with the enlarged apertures I8, IQ for passing the jour'- nal l3. The present dust guard assembly-contemplates the use of a dust guard 20, which may be constructed of any suitable non-abrasive material, such as wood, bakelite, bearing metals, cellulose by-products, wall boards, fabrics, leather or the like, the most commonly employed substance being wood in the form of multiple ply boards or plywood. The dust guard 20 is provided with an aperture 2|, which fits the enlarged part 22 of the journal |3 quite closely so as to exclude dust from the journal box l2.

The area of' the dust guard 20 in Fig. 1 is preferably considerably smaller than that of the dust guards of the prior art, since thus a larger range of floating movement canbe attained without uncovering the apertures l8, l9, due to the other telescoping parts of this device. Dust guard 20 is substantially circular in shape at its lower portion, the outline being shown at 23 (Fig. 2).

At its upper p'art it is provided with a pair of flat edges 24, 25, forming an extension which is adapted to engage the rivets 26, 21 to prevent more than a limited rotation of the dust guard 29. The guard 20 is slidably mounted for floating movement between a pair of metallic plates 28, 29, each of which is provided withan elongated or oblong aperture 30. The plates 28, 29 are secured together in spaced relation to each other by a plu-. rality of rivets 26, 21 provided with tubular spacing members 3| and by a strap of sheet metal 32 which has upwardly extending attaching flanges welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the plates.

The rivets26, 21 are preferably so located that they engage withthe straight portions 24, 25 of the wooden guard 20 to prevent rotation of the guard, as previously described;- but the space between either one of the rivets 26, 21 and the strap 32 is such that when the guard 20 is rotated and the journal is not in the aperture 2| the dust guard may be slid out between the strap and either of the rivets to take the assembly apart for repair or renewal of the guard. The pins or rivets 26, 21 are preferably so located that the dust guard is prevented from rotating far enough in either direction to contact the edge of the well. The contact of the corner of the guard with the rough surface of the well might otherwise prevent the desired floating movement if the guard were permitted such a wide range of rotation movement. Thus the straight edge of the guard slides against the rivets 26, 21 in the floating movement of the guard, and the rough inner surface of the dust guard well do'es not interfere with this action.

The metal plates 28, 29 are provided with sub stantially straight sides 33', 34 and with a circular lower edge 35. The distance between the sides or edges 33, 34 is such that there is space for lateral movement of the metal plates in the dust guard well The length of the plates with respect to the other parts of the well is such that when the strap 32 rests on the bottom of the well the lowermost edge 36 of the border of the aperture in the plates 28, 29 is in substantial registry with the lowermost edge 31 of the aperture ill in the wall H of the well. The plates 26, 21 may thus be used as a gauge for determining whether the device drops into proper position in the well and for indicating whether there is any foreign material in the well such as the worn or crushed parts of the dust guard from a previous application.

The upper ends of the plates 28, 29 are provided with substantially straight sides 38, 39 and with a substantially straight end 49. The sides or edges 38, 39 are provided with a cut out portion or slot 4|, 42 in each case, surrounding another rivet 43, 44 on each side of the device. Rivets 43, 44 are carried by the cover .assembly 45, and are so located that the cover can never be detached from the rest of the dust guard assembly, but

floating movement is permitted between the lower portion of the dust guard assembly and the cover assembly 45 within the range of the slots 4| 42. This greatly increases the range of movement of the dust guard itself, since it is capable of sliding movement between the plates 28, 29, and the plates 28, 29am capable of sliding movement with respect to the cover 45. The length of the upper portions of the plates 28, 29 is such that the rivets 43, 44 are disposed substantially centrally between the upper and lower apertures of the slots 4| 42 when the lower strap 82 of the dust guard assembly rests on the bottom of the well. Thus the slots 4|, 42 and pins 43, 44 are normally arranged to permit floating movement of the plates 28, 29 with respect to the cover assembly 45, and the journal box may be jacked up without any possibility of the dust guard forcing the cover out of its socket.

The cover assembly 45 preferably comprises a stamped sheet metal cover 46 and a pair of downwardly extending metal plates 41, 48. Cover 46 is provided with a fiat top 49 and with an overhanging downwardly extending flange 50 about its border.

In the embodiment of Fig. 3 the over-hanging flange 50 is substantially flat and extends diagonally downward. In other embodiments of the invention the over-hanging flange 50 may fit closely about the upwardly projecting portion 5| of the dust guard well. The downwardly extending plates 41 and 48 are provided with outwardly turned attaching flanges 52, 53, which may be welded, riveted, or otherwise permanently secured to the lower part of the cover. Plates 41, 48 are spaced from each other such a distance that they slidably receive between them the plates 28, 29, which in turn are spaced sufficiently to receive the dust guard 29.

The plates 41, 48 may be supported in spaced relation by the rivets or pins 43, 44 which may also be surrounded by spacing sleeves 54. In every case the rivets referred to may either be turned down at the ends to provide annular shoulders or they may be made up of separate rivets and shorter spacing sleeves.

The spacing of the plates 41, 48 and the thickness of the dust guard well 20 are such that they may be received in any of the dust guard wells made according to the permissible sizes specified by the American Railway Asso-' ciation. The plates 41, 48 have punched out of them at their upper portions resilient, outwardly bent strips 55, 56 which are provided with the pressed formations or humps 51 for engaging the inner wall of the dust guard well. The cover is retained inplace by the friction which is caused by the engagement of these humps on the inner surface of the well, thereby holding the cover in fixed position while permitting sliding movement of the plates 28, 29. 3

Referring to Fig. 4, this "is a modification in which the present dust guard assembly is adapted for use with dust guards of the type now being used in standard practice. The ordinary dust guard, which is substantially thicker than the dust guard 20 of Fig. .1, may be cut down at its upper end to a. relatively thinner portion 58. This is done by cutting away a portion of the guard along the lines 59 at. both sides so that the portion 58 when assembled with the side plates 60, 6! 'will be of substantially the same thickness as the assembly including the dust guard 20 and plates 28, 29.

The plates B0, 6! are substantially rectangular in shape and are similar in shape and function to the upper portion of the plates 28, 29; that is, they are provided with the slots 4|, 42 for engaging the pins or rivets 43, 44. Since the construction of these plates is the same as the upper end of plates 28, 29, the same numerals have been applied.

The plates 5!], 6| are secured to the reduced section 58 of the dust guard 62 by a plurality of rivets 63. The dust guard 62 then cooperates with the cover assembly in Figs. 4 and 5 exactly as described with respect to the assembly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In Figs. 4 and 5, however, the cover 64 differs slightly in shape from the cover 46. Cover 64 is a stamped cover provided with a downwardly curved flange 65 which embraces the upper end 5| of the dust guard ,well for ex eluding dust and moisture from the dust guard well. By means of this assembly the ordinary dust guard now in practice may be reconstructed to provide for floating movement between the dust guard and the cover while the cover is. securely fixed in position to close the dust guard well. The whole assembly may, however, be removed by removing the cover.

Referring to Figs. 6 and '7, this is another modification in which the lower portion of the dust guard assembly may be exactly as described with respect to Fig. 2, and the same numerals have been applied to similar parts. In this case, however, the strap 32 has been supplemented by means of a rivet 66. At their upper endsalso the plates 28, 29 in Fig. '7 are provided with inwardly turned flanges 61, 63 spaced from each other to provide a slot 69. The cover may be formed by a pair of metal plates 10, H which are provided with outwardly extending flanges 12, 13 located in the space M between the plates 28, 29 at the top.

The plates '50, H pass out through'the slot 69, and the space provided at M permits a floating movement of the lower assembly with respect to the cover assembly, indicated in its entirety by numeral 15. The plates 10, H may be riveted, welded or otherwise permanently secured together, and they may be provided with a pair of tapered strips of wood 15, I! secured thereto by rivets 18. The wood strips l5, 16 form a tapered plug which may be secured in the dust guard well by wedging action, and act as a cover for the well. If desired, however, the assembly may also be provided with the cover 64, which may be secured to the attaching flanges 19 which extend laterally from the plates 10, H. Either or both the cover 64 and the plug 16, 11 may be employed. 7

Referring to Fig. 8, this is another modification in which the wooden plug has been replaced by a similar member formed of two sheet metal plates 80, 8|, which are provided with attaching flanges 82. and welded or otherwise secured to the cover .64.

All of the disadvantages experienced with the dust guards of the prior art have been eliminated by the improved dust guard assembly described herein. There is absolutely no possibility of the dust guard rising high enough to eject the cover from the dust guard well.

The present assembly provides for a much greater sliding or floating movement of the dust guard itself and positively prevents the entry of foreign material into the dust guard well where it might interfere with the operation of the dust guard and associated parts.

The present assembly may be used as a gauge for determining whether the well is clean, and the wooden dust guards used in this assembly may be replaced or renewed with a minimum amount of labor.-

The present dust guard assemblies are capable of being used in the dust guard wells of various sizes and do not necessitate the use of dust guards of many different sizes.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

. 1. In a dust guard for railway car journal boxes, the combination of a non-abrasive guard adapted to surround a journal with a housing adapted to support said guard for sliding movement in a multiplicity of different directions, said housing also having an enlarged aperture surrounding the journal and being adapted to assist in the closure of the opening in the journal box surrounding said journal, and a cover adapted to be fixedly secured to the dust guard well, said cover and housing having a sliding connection to permit limited movement of said housing with respect to said cover, said cover being provided with stop means limiting the sliding connection between said cover and housing whereby the cover and housing may be removed as a unit.

2. In a dust guard for railway car journal boxes, the combination of a non-abrasive guard adapted to surround a journal with a housing adapted to support said guard for sliding movement in a multiplicity of different directions, said housing also having an enlarged aperture surrounding the journal and being adapted to assist in the; closure of the opening in the journal box surrounding said journal, a cover adapted to be fixedly secured to the dust guard well, said cover and housing having a sliding connection to permit limited movement of said housing with respect to said cover, said housing comprising a pair of metal plates secured in spaced relation to each other, and a pair of metal plates carried by said cover in sliding relation to said firstmentioned metal plates; said cover being 5m vided'with stop means limiting the sliding con nection between said coverand housing whereby the cover and housing may be removedas aunit 3. In a dust guard for railway car journal boxes, the combination of a non-abrasive guard adapted to surround a journal with a housing adapted to support said guard for sliding movement in a multiplicity of diiiernt dlrections, said housing also having an enlarged aperture 'surrounding the journal and being adapted to assist in the closure of the opening in the journal box surrounding said journal, a cover adapted to be fixedly'secure'd to the dust guard well, said cover and housing having a sliding connection to permit limited movement of Said housii'ig With respect to said cover, said housing comprising a pair of metal plates secured in spaced relation'to each other, and a pair of metal plates carried by said cover in sliding relation to said first-mentioned metal plates, said latter plates being' pro vided with a pair of pins and oppositely formed slots in said first-mentioned plates surrounding said pins, the walls of said slots being spaced from said pins to predetermine the range of movement between said first-mentioned plates and said latter plates. I

4. In a dust guard assembly, the combination of a cover with a dust guard movably supported on said cover, and means for securing said cover in a dust guard well whereby'the dust guard is movably supported in said well but may be removed as a unit with the cover, said cover having a pair of depending metal plates provided with transverse stop members, and stop rnea-ns carried by said dust guard having slots surround ing said first-mentioned stop members and in spaced relation thereto to provide for limited movement between said cover and said dust guard. l I

5. In a dust guard assembly, the combination of a cover with adust guard movably supported on said cover, and means for securing said cover in a dust guard well whereby the dust guard is movably supported in said well but may here moved as a unit withthe cover, said cover hav ing a pair of depending metal plates provided with transverse stop members, and stop means carried by said dust guard having slots surrounding said first-mentioned stop members and in spaced relation thereto to provide forlimited movement between said cover and said dust guard, said stop means comprising a pair of spaced plates for slidably engaging a dust guard,

6. In a dust guard assembly, the combination of a non-abrasive dust guard member having an aperture for passing a car journal, witha housing for said dust guard and for' supporting said dust guard slidably, comprising a pair of me tallic plates secured in spaced relation and provided with an enlarged aperture for passing the car journal, the space between said aperture and the lower end of said housing being substantial ly equal to the depth of the dust guardwell, whereby the assembly may be usedas a gauge for determining whether the dust guard well is clean of foreign material, and a cover assembly including means for sliding support of saidhou'sing on said cover whereby the housing may rest on the bottom of the dust guard well by gravity when the cover is held in position to close the dust guard well, said cover being provided with stop means limiting thes'liding' connection between said coverand housing whereby the cover and housing may be removed as a unit.

7. In a dust guard assembly, the combination of a stamenana dust guard adapted to be insorted in a dust guard well of a railway car journal bbg a c'over adaptedto be fixedly secured in closing position on said well, and means for eficting a sliding connection between said dust guard and said cover, whereby the dust guard and cover may be removed as a unit but the dust guard is adapted. to float With the journal and move slidably with respect to the cover.

8. In a dust guard assembly, the combination of a dust guard with-a housing comprising a pair of plates arranged in spaced relation to each other, both said dust guard and housing having apertures for passing a car journal, and the apertures in said housing being enlarged over the size of aperture in said dust guard, said housing being provided with a pair of inwardly extending flanges at the top spaced from each other to form a slot, and a cover having a downwardlyextending member passing through said slot and provided with outwardly extending flanges whereby said housing is arranged for sliding movement with respect to said cover, said cover including a wedging member adapted to be wedgedin the upper end of the dust guard well to secure said cover in fixed relation to the journal box; A

V 9. In a" dust guard assembly, the combination of a cover for a dust guard well with a pair or depending flanges carried by said cover and adapted to be inserted in the dust guard well, resilient means carried by one of said flanges engaging inside the dust guard well and securing the cover and dust guard assembly in place; a pr housing plates slidably mounted on said depending flanges and adapted to move in all directions with respect to said depending flanges, means for securing said housing plates m spaeear 1ati ii a each other, and a dust guardslidabIy mounted said housing plates and having an aperturefitting the railway car ui l;

10. I;r 1 a dust assembly, the combination or p'qva for a dust guard well with a pair of depending flanges carried by said cover and adaptd to be inserted in the dust guard well, resilient ineans carrid one or said flanges for engaging inside the dust guard well and securing the cover and dustguard assembly in Pl e a new ba in te? s i a mounted on said depending iianges, and adapted to move in all directions with respect to said depending flanges' iriearis for securing said housing plates in spaced relation to each other, and a dust guard slidably mounted insaid housing plates and havin'g anaperture fltting the railway car journal, said housingplates; having stop means located to engage said dust guard when it rotates either direction, and said dust guard being ra-bbeted to providespace for'limited rotative' movement between said dust guard and said p m a i.

,l1. Ina dust guard assembly, the combination of a; cover for a guard well with a pair of depending flangescarried by said cover and adapted tobinserted in the dust guard well, resilient means carried by one of said flanges f or en gagin'g inside the dust guard well and securing the" cover and dust guard assembly in place, a pair of housing plates slidably mounted on said depending flanges and adapted to move in all directions with respect to said depending flanges, means ior securing said housing plates in spaced relation to each other, a dust guard slidably mounted in said housing plates and having an aperture fitting the railway car journal, said housing plates being located inside said depending flanges, and stop means provided between said housing plates and said depending flanges whereby the removal of the cover removes the housing plates and dust guard as a unit from the well.

12. In a dust guard assembly, the combination of a cover for a dust guard well with a pair of depending flanges carried by said cover and adapted to be inserted in the dust guard well, resilient means carried by one of said flanges for engaging inside the dust guard well and securing the cover and dust guard assembly in place, a pair of housing plates slidably mounted on said depending flanges and adapted to move in all directions with respect to said depending flanges, means for securing said housing plates in spaced relation to each other, and a dust guard slidably mounted in said housing plates and having an aperture fitting the railway car journal, said dust guard being free to rotate within said housing plates within predetermined limits.

LAWRENCE A. ROWE. 

